USGBC is listening

Of course there is a major difference - when v2009 was released v2.2 was also not available. If it were there would have been similar results. The comparison is apples and oranges trying to pass as a justification.

The reality is that the vast majority of the market will not significantly start using v4 until it is required. Delaying this requirement will not change this fact. It is human nature to fear the unknown and delay change as long as possible. Up until it is required there will not be a significant market uptake of v4. If v4 is not required its use is being delayed, no matter how you try to spin it.

When there are two versions of LEED available, the market will take the status quo 99 times out of 100. Continuing to reward the status quo is a good strategy for maintaining/increasing market share but at the expense of market transformation. LEED is becoming SQEED (Status Quo in Energy and Environmental Design) IMO.

Leading the market in a direction (transformation) is very different than working with the market to make sure they are ready. I fail to see how the delay of v4 will drive any meaningful and comprehensive change in transforming the market. Keep in mind that this will delay v4 a full four years beyond its original launch date! Requiring v4 will drive change, continuing to delay will not.

Marcus, very well written.
My added concern is that after all this time with V4 NOT selling in the marketplace that upper management at USGBC is taking a scorched earth policy to try to turn the problem around.

'Working with the market' involves better marketing, better workshops and educational pieces and more involvement of the core volunteers, not stonewalling and opaque communications.

Fully support what you are saying Marcus.

Well stated Marcus.

I'm going to continue to push projects to stand by the June 15th 2015 date, as while USGBC appears free to change dates based on nontransparent polling and inapplicable historical comparisons, we are just as free to recognize only v4 projects registered after June 15th 2015 as actual leaders.

Unfortunately, the USGBC's lack of confidence in its own product and unwillingness to challenge and push the industry severely diminishes our ability to move clients to v4 and further, with this announcement the USGBC can expect v4 registrations to evaporate.

My concern is that many agencies and companies are pursuing LEED Silver v2009 as a base standard of design. Which is great! Thanks, LEED. Now that it has become standard of practice, LEED Silver is very easy to achieve in a most cases and is no longer an indicator of innovation and sustainable design. By delaying LEED v2009 cutoff, LEED is just maintaining the status quo and deminishing the value of their rating system and their role in the market place of pushing forward sustainable design practices. Of course the industry will whine when LEED v4 becomes mandatory. But, until LEED v4 is forced upon us, the industry will not push ahead on its own. There will be just as many people complaining about LEED v4 in 2016 as there would have been in 2015. But, by 2016, people will also be compaining that LEED v4 is already out of date.

Any chance of answering some of the outstanding questions addressed here?